Just because the Student Involvement Fair is virtual, does not mean that it isn’t in full-swing and ready to recruit some new members to whichever club they may choose. This year UConntact hosted the Involvement fair, giving individuals the opportunity to learn about the hundreds of clubs available at the University of Connecticut with just one click of a mouse. Whether you’re looking for something new and fun, an intellectually stimulating environment, a club that follows your passion or just simply an opportunity to pet dogs, there’s a place for you.
Sixth-semester psychology student, Casey Jaycox, is the president of My First Year Story, a podcast that discusses firsts, specifically during college.
“We created this podcast to normalize college experiences and to tell stories of people’s firsts, whether that be in college or in life,” said Jaycox. “We wanted to engage with an audience and build a community through dialogue.”
My First Year Story is relatively new, having only started last fall. Currently they are on season two and focusing on a major series.
“We interview people from different majors at UConn and we have a student in that program come on with that faculty member to talk about their experience from a student perspective, and then we the faculty member converse with them and talk about the major overall,” she said.
“WE CREATED THIS PODCAST TO NORMALIZE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AND TO TELL STORIES OF PEOPLE’S FIRSTS, WHETHER THAT BE IN COLLEGE OR LIFE. WE WANTED TO ENGAGE WITH AN AUDIENCE AND BUILD A COMMUNITY THROUGH DIALOGUE.”
The club is also organizing a series that works to shine a light on student leaders in the UConn community. For example, they have interviewed the presidents of USG and HuskyTHON. If you are interested in listening to My First Year Story, it can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you’re an avid baker or hoping to get your hands dirty with some batter, Care Cakes is the club for you. Each semester the club holds a baking event where members are able to sign up for a variety of shifts: a baking, decorating or delivery shift. Sixth-semester psychology major and treasurer for Care Cakes, Emma Parkes, highlighted what being in the club entails.
“We bake cupcakes, decorate them and then donate them to the local soup kitchen,” she said. “We like to have fun while we’re doing it, but it’s a great cause because who doesn’t love cupcakes?”
Usually the baking takes place on a Saturday and is then delivered to the soup kitchen where anyone who is coming in for lunch can receive a tasty treat as well. Currently the e-board is working towards including more social events that will allow members to meet each other since not everyone signs up for the same shift.
Are you missing your furry friend that lives at home? In need of some puppy love? Paws for Claws is the perfect remedy.
“We help gain awareness for pet shelters or pet rescues instead of breeding facilities,” said event coordinator Madison Fostervold.
Each semester Paws for Claws holds a big event; in fall they host Pawtober and in spring they host Canine 5K. All proceeds from these events get donated to one organization, with the intent of helping each furry friend’s life.
“We raise money for these organizations that we partner with, alongside with basic club member bonding events,” said Treasurer Jennifer Lopez. “We really have activities for every pet loving person on a campus.”
A quick bonus, members are allowed to bring their dogs to events, which means there will be numerous adorable pets to love, while raising money for a good cause. The club meets biweekly, from 7:30 to 8:30 on Tuesday.
If you love writing and are looking for a safe space to write freely, Creative Writing is the perfect spot. Junior psychology major Ash Goodwin came up with the idea with two other individuals to create a space on campus where individuals can creatively write without being judged.
“Me and a couple friends wanted to create a laid back, chill environment that is a judgment free zone for creative writing,” they said. “You can write creatively with prompts to help generate ideas, while meeting people that are also interested in creative writing that you can bounce your ideas off of and get feedback from.”
Creative Writing meets once a week for two hours, where the first hour is dedicated to generating prompts and the second is a creative write, where students are able to work on anything they would like.
Second-semester English major Krista touched upon the opportunity to share ideas if one pleases.
“Sometimes we talk about different writing strategies through a brief presentation,” said Krista. “There is a little opportunity between the two halves to share your work to get a little bit of feedback if people want.”
Both individuals shared the beauty of being able to do what you enjoy and are passionate about, while meeting people with the same interests.
These are only four out of the hundreds of clubs available to anyone at UConn. If you’re interested, visit UConntact to learn more.
